JY6 Foundation Honors Alum with Nursing Scholarship
Jorgen Yde's final wish was to honor the nurses who battled cancer by his side. Through a scholarship, Jorgen's legacy is transforming lives - starting with Molly Kuehl's.
Every scholarship at South Dakota State University starts with a story – most often that of an individual intent on touching lives and making a difference.
In this case, a recent scholarship for the College of Nursing starts with the story of Jorgen Yde, a teenager with a tremendous amount of courage and heart.
In 2010 as a freshman at Sioux Falls Lincoln High School, Jorgen began noticing persistent pain in his hip and later in his back. After numerous tests, that pain proved to be acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an aggressive form of cancer. Over the next 11 months, Jorgen’s health journey brought him in and out of many hospitals while undergoing treatments. That journey also brought him to cross paths with countless healthcare workers whose compassion stood out as a bright spot amid such difficult circumstances.
When his family asked Jorgen how he wanted to be remembered and how best they could carry on his legacy, he answered that he dreamed of a day where there would be a cure for cancer.
He also hoped his family might somehow pay forward the kindness and expert care he received from the doctors and nurses who battled cancer by his side. Though Jorgen passed away in May of 2011, the Yde family ensured that his dream lives on by starting the JY6 Foundation, a public charity that raises awareness and funding for pediatric and cancer research.
Led by Jorgen’s family, the JY6 Foundation hosts several events each year to carry on the organization’s mission. In addition to golf outings and a 6k run/walk/Zumba, JY6 hosts a Nurses Dinner to pay tribute to nurses while raising funds for cancer research. At this year’s tenth annual event, JY6 CEO and Jorgen’s brother, Dane Yde, announced SDSU alum Molly Kuehl as the recipient of the organization’s “Angel Award.” This award recognized not only the great deal of time and dedication she’s given to the healthcare field in her career as a nurse, but also to the JY6 Foundation itself as their chief development officer. As a surprise to Molly and event attendees, Dane also announced the creation of the JY6 Legacy Endowed Scholarship in Nursing, created in Molly’s honor and spearheaded by her family, friends, and colleagues at JY6.
Molly is a nurse practitioner for Sanford Health specializing in obstetrics/gynecology and women’s health. She received her bachelor's in nursing from State in 2010 followed by her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2017. Molly serves as the chief development officer for JY6 and helped plan the first annual Nurse’s Dinner a decade ago, not at all suspecting that the organization would someday surprise her with a scholarship in her honor.
“My husband and I just really want whoever receives this scholarship to feel seen and heard and cared for,” said Molly. “We want them to feel empowered and uplifted. This scholarship may be the encouragement they need to push through and finish strong.”
The annual endowed scholarship will be awarded starting in the 2022/2023 academic year. In establishing the scholarship, the JY6 Foundation fulfills Jorgen’s desire to pay forward the support he received in his cancer treatment by opening doors for future nurses. Thanks to the endowed nature of the gift, that support for healthcare heroes will continue in perpetuity.
“While Dane Yde insists that this scholarship is ‘for me,’ and not JY6, my heart tells me that Jorgen and I are in this together, and that his story needs to continue to be told,” said Molly.
“Jorgen and I never knew each other, but he inspired me to do good for others. The ripple effect he has had beyond his short life is so profound that I want it to go on forever.”
South Dakota State University is proud to play a part in Jorgen’s ripple effect, working together to achieve a world cured of cancer.